ReApp – A Mobile App for the Rehabilitation of Ankle Sprains

Increasing compliance with neuromuscular training to prevent ankle sprain in sport: does the ‘Strengthen your ankle’ mobile App make a difference? A randomised controlled trial

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2015-095290 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 50 (19) ◽

pp. 1200-1205 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

M Van Reijen ◽

I Vriend ◽

V Zuidema ◽

W van Mechelen ◽

E A Verhagen

Keyword(s):

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Exercise Programme ◽

Mobile App ◽

Incidence Density ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Neuromuscular Training ◽

Secondary Outcome Measure ◽

Ankle Sprains ◽

Randomised Controlled

BackgroundE-health has the potential to facilitate implementation of effective measures to prevent sports injuries.AimWe evaluated whether an interactive mobile application containing a proven effective exercise programme to prevent recurrent ankle sprains resulted in higher compliance as compared with regular written exercise materials.Methods220 athletes participated in this randomised controlled trial with a follow-up of 8 weeks; 110 athletes received a booklet explaining an 8-week neuromuscular training programme; 110 athletes participated in the same programme in an interactive mobile App (Strengthen your ankle). The primary outcome was compliance with the exercise programme. Secondary outcome measure was the incidence density of self-reported recurrent ankle sprains.ResultsThe mean compliance to the exercise scheme was 73.3% (95% CI 67.7% to 78.1%) in the App group, compared with 76.7% (95% CI 71.9% to 82.3%) in the Booklet group. No significant difference in compliance was found between groups. The incidence densities of self-reported time-loss recurrences were not significantly different between both groups (HR 3.07; 95% CI 0.62 to 15.20).SummaryThis study shows that the method of implementing the exercises by using an App or a Booklet does not lead to different compliance rates.New findingsThe use of a mobile App or a Booklet lead to similar compliance and injury rates in the short term.Trial registration numberThe Netherlands National Trial Register NTR 4027. The NTR is part of the WHO Primary Registries.

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Developing A mobile App for the Rehabilitation of Ankle Sprains

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/conf.fpubh.2016.01.00018 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

McDonough Suzanne ◽

Bleakley Christopher ◽

Nugent Christopher ◽

Davies Richard ◽

Rafferty Joseph ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mobile App ◽

Ankle Sprains

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A Possible Mobile Health Solution in Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery: Development Protocol and User Evaluation of the Ankle Joint App (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.16403 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Florian Dittrich ◽

David Alexander Back ◽

Anna Katharina Harren ◽

Marcus Jäger ◽

Stefan Landgraeber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ankle Joint ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Interrater Reliability ◽

Development Process ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Mobile App ◽

Ankle Sprains ◽

Rehabilitation Programs ◽

Medical App ◽

The Mean

BACKGROUND Ankle sprains are one of the most frequent sports injuries. With respect to the high prevalence of ankle ligament injuries and patients’ young age, optimizing treatment and rehabilitation is mandatory to prevent future complications such as chronic ankle instability or osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE In modern times, an increasing amount of smartphone usage in patient care is evident. Studies investigating mobile health (mHealth)–based rehabilitation programs after ankle sprains are rare. The aim of this study was to expose any issues present in the development process of a medical app as well as associated risks and chances. METHODS The development process of the Ankle Joint App was defined in chronological order using a protocol. The app’s quality was evaluated using the (user) German Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS-G) by voluntary foot and ankle surgeons (n=20) and voluntary athletes (n=20). RESULTS A multidisciplinary development team built a hybrid app with a corresponding backend structure. The app’s content provides actual medical literature, training videos, and a log function. Excellent interrater reliability (interrater reliability=0.92; 95% CI 0.86-0.96) was obtained. The mean overall score for the Ankle Joint App was 4.4 (SD 0.5). The mean subjective quality scores were 3.6 (surgeons: SD 0.7) and 3.8 (athletes: SD 0.5). Behavioral change had mean scores of 4.1 (surgeons: SD 0.7) and 4.3 (athletes: SD 0.7). The medical gain value, rated by the surgeons only, was 3.9 (SD 0.6). CONCLUSIONS The data obtained demonstrate that mHealth-based rehabilitation programs might be a useful tool for patient education and collection of personal data. The achieved (user) MARS-G scores support a high quality of the tested app. Medical app development with an a priori defined target group and a precisely intended purpose, in a multidisciplinary team, is highly promising. Follow-up studies are required to obtain funded evidence for the ankle joints app’s effects on economical and medical aspects in comparison with established nondigital therapy paths.

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A Possible Mobile Health Solution in Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery: Development Protocol and User Evaluation of the Ankle Joint App

JMIR mhealth and uhealth ◽

10.2196/16403 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. e16403

Author(s):

Florian Dittrich ◽

David Alexander Back ◽

Anna Katharina Harren ◽

Marcus Jäger ◽

Stefan Landgraeber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ankle Joint ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Interrater Reliability ◽

Development Process ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Mobile App ◽

Ankle Sprains ◽

Rehabilitation Programs ◽

Medical App ◽

The Mean

Background Ankle sprains are one of the most frequent sports injuries. With respect to the high prevalence of ankle ligament injuries and patients’ young age, optimizing treatment and rehabilitation is mandatory to prevent future complications such as chronic ankle instability or osteoarthritis. Objective In modern times, an increasing amount of smartphone usage in patient care is evident. Studies investigating mobile health (mHealth)–based rehabilitation programs after ankle sprains are rare. The aim of this study was to expose any issues present in the development process of a medical app as well as associated risks and chances. Methods The development process of the Ankle Joint App was defined in chronological order using a protocol. The app’s quality was evaluated using the (user) German Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS-G) by voluntary foot and ankle surgeons (n=20) and voluntary athletes (n=20). Results A multidisciplinary development team built a hybrid app with a corresponding backend structure. The app’s content provides actual medical literature, training videos, and a log function. Excellent interrater reliability (interrater reliability=0.92; 95% CI 0.86-0.96) was obtained. The mean overall score for the Ankle Joint App was 4.4 (SD 0.5). The mean subjective quality scores were 3.6 (surgeons: SD 0.7) and 3.8 (athletes: SD 0.5). Behavioral change had mean scores of 4.1 (surgeons: SD 0.7) and 4.3 (athletes: SD 0.7). The medical gain value, rated by the surgeons only, was 3.9 (SD 0.6). Conclusions The data obtained demonstrate that mHealth-based rehabilitation programs might be a useful tool for patient education and collection of personal data. The achieved (user) MARS-G scores support a high quality of the tested app. Medical app development with an a priori defined target group and a precisely intended purpose, in a multidisciplinary team, is highly promising. Follow-up studies are required to obtain funded evidence for the ankle joints app’s effects on economical and medical aspects in comparison with established nondigital therapy paths.

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